Fabio Cannavaro Among Top Five Highest-Paid Managers at 2026 World Cup

Uzbekistan national team manager Fabio Cannavaro has secured a place among the top five highest-paid head coaches competing at the 2026 World Cup.
According to data compiled by Finance Football and reported by Championat, the legendary Italian defender commands an annual salary of €4 mln. This puts his earnings on par with Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez.
Cannavaro’s lucrative contract with the Uzbekistan Football Association places him ahead of several of the most prominent names in international football.
The ranking reveals that the Italian out-earns France’s World Cup-winning manager Didier Deschamps, who receives €3.8 mln per year. He also sits comfortably ahead of Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman and Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa, both of whom earn €3 mln annually.
The financial study analyzed the salaries of 24 managers leading teams at the 2026 tournament. Only four international head coaches earn a higher salary than Cannavaro:
| Manager | National Team | Annual Salary |
| Carlo Ancelotti | Brazil | €10 mln |
| Julian Nagelsmann | Germany | €7 mln |
| Mauricio Pochettino | USA | €6 mln |
| Thomas Tuchel | England | €5.8 mln |
| Fabio Cannavaro | Uzbekistan | €4 mln |
| Roberto Martinez | Portugal | €4 mln |
At the opposite end of the financial spectrum, Scotland manager Steve Clarke props up the table of analyzed coaches. His annual earnings are estimated at €530,000, making him the lowest-paid manager included in the 24-man study.